Step 1

Slice or cube your uncooked pancetta as needed. Generally speaking, you can buy pancetta in a sausage-shaped roll, thinly sliced, or pre-diced. If you’re using thin slices or diced pancetta, you can cook them as is. To cook rolled pancetta, you’ll have to do a bit of slicing and possibly dicing.You can cut thick, 0.25 in (0.64 cm) slices from the roll to cook.Or, cut thick slices and then dice them into 0.25 in (0.64 cm) cubes.

Step 2

Add your pancetta to a roomy frying pan. If you crowd your frying pan with pancetta, it will end up more soggy than crispy due to the excess of rendered fat and released moisture. Either choose a large frying pan that can easily accommodate all your pancetta, or cook it in batches.Whether sliced or diced, none of your pancetta pieces should be touching in the pan. If they are, it’s too crowded.

Step 3

Place the pan and pancetta on medium-low to medium heat. By putting the pancetta in an unheated pan and then cooking it on a lower heat setting, you’ll render out more of the fat and crisp it without burning it. Stovetop settings vary widely, so aim for anywhere from medium-low to medium.If you’re cooking multiple batches, consider using two pans. Otherwise, you should remove most of the rendered fat and let the pan cool a bit between batches.

Step 4

Cook it until the fat renders and the pancetta is crispy. Even on a lower heat setting, pancetta doesn’t take long to go from perfectly crispy to unpleasantly burned. Use your eyes and your nose to know when it’s done just right for your liking.Thick (0.25 in (0.64 cm)) slices need to cook for about 5 minutes per side.If you’re cooking a package of very thin (often paper-thin) slices, aim for 2-3 minutes per side.0.25 in (0.64 cm) cubes take about 5 minutes total to cook and should be stirred around every couple minutes.

Step 5

Place the cooked pancetta on a paper towel lined plate. The paper towels will soak up a bit of the surface fat on the pancetta, which will help it to remain crispy for a little longer after cooking. After cooling for a few seconds, it’s ready to add to salads, pastas, sandwiches, or any number of recipes, or just to munch on by itself!Before disposing of the pan drippings, see if they are used in any recipe you might be following.